CHELSEA goalkeeping coach Christophe Lollichon believes Kurt Zouma is 'a player on the rise' but still has some way to go to be compared to Marcel Desailly.

Zouma has drawn comparisons with the legendary World Cup winner after some impressive performances for the Blues this season.

And while Lollichon believes Zouma has both the talent and the work ethic to emulate Desailly, he says there is still some water to go under the bridge before that is the case.

He told Offside.fr: "You have to be patient, and not compare. Marcel, technique-wise, had more finesse. Kurt is in the process of developing that.

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Marcel Desailly is a Chelsea legend

Marcel, technique-wise, had more finesse. Kurt is in the process of developing that.

Christophe Lollichon

"There's the understanding of the game too. Kurt is young. He has just arrived and he had a very good development at Saint-Etienne.

"He needs to work on his understanding of the game. He is already in the France squad. He is not a first-team regular, either for Chelsea or les Bleus, but he is at the top in terms of his club and his national team.

"He works hard. He is serious. He is focussed on what he has to do.

"Above all he is intelligent enough to do what he can do, and not to try to do too much. And that is very good."